Betting Tips For India V New Zealand - 1st Semi-Final - ODI World Cup 2023

The first semi-final is a repeat of the 2019 last-four clash when New Zealand shocked India in Manchester. Is that form guide worth anything for a contest in which superpower India are expected to dominate at the Wankhede Stadum in Mumbai?

We would strongly argue that it is not. For a start, a four-year formbook is tatty and unreliable. Secondly, conditions are going to be completely different. At a wet and miserable Manchester, the sides had to come back on the reserve day to complete the game with India unable to cope with a seaming and swinging ball.

The Wankhede has been flat as a pancake and this could be a game which is dominated by the baters. As one would expect, India are the fastest scorers in the tournament and they have a whopping edge in terms of bowling economy. Their chief worry is perhaps that they have to win 11 in a row to lift the title. Could they really have a bad day at the office? This India vs New Zealand match will be the encounter of the Tournament.

The toss could be crucial. Our toss prediction for this one is for the side that wins the flip to bat first.

Shubman Gill to score 50 @2.375

This World Cup was supposed to be the tournament which launched Shubman Gill into the stratosphere. Or at least gave him equal billing on the freeway and high-rise ad hoardings in India’s maximum cities. Alas, dengue fever kept him out of the initial action and the established stars of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli needed no second chance to retain their pulling power.

But Gill could have a big say in the denouement. In this semi he comes up against a New Zealand attack which he has taken apart.

He has an astonishing 510 runs against the Kiwis in just nine innings, all since 2019. In Hyderabad in January he smashed 208 off the New Zealand attack which included Lockie Ferguson and Mitch Santner. Six days later in Indore he took them for 112.

It’s a quiz as to how best to get with Gill for a winner. As far as the top run scorer market goes, we know he has a win rate in the last two years of 26.7% (second to only Rohit’s 29%) so the 3.75 is not too shabby. As far as free cricket betting tips go this is a simple one.

Easier still, and less stressful, is the 2.375 that Gull notches another fifty. That means we don’t have to worry about the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Trent Boult top New Zealand bowler @3.25

Trent Boult has a fabulous record against India in ODI. In 14 matches he has taken 25 wickets. That’s a strike rate of 32.

There is only one way to make this dominance play and it’s to go for Boult to be top New Zealand bowler at 3.25. These are solid cricket betting odds and we’re surprised he’s not shorter. His main rival appears to be Mitch Santner, who has out bowled Boult so far.

We don’t expect Santner to get much joy from the Wankhede surface, nor from India’s batters who are expert at playing spin. Santner is durable but hardly the stuff of wristy nightmares.

Back under Tom Latham under 20.5 runs @1.83

Tom Latham’s tournament has been a difficult one. He could have envisaged a major role for New Zealand with the bat in a run to the last four. Instead his influence has been on the wane. First through Kane Williamson returning to captain the side, second to him being demoted further down the order.

He’s batted at No 7 and No 8 in his last two outings as New Zealand are unsure of his role. Confidence must be low for Latham who now has just 32 runs in his last five innings. In his last four against India (all this years) he has 34 runs in four. Back under 20.5 runs at 1.83.